Children of the Desert
by jojocat
Summary: Bravo Team encounters nine children, on their own, in the desert. Let the adventure begin! (I own nothing. Seal Team characters belong to CBS and the children are from my imagination.)
1. Chapter 1

"Stand down!" I say again. "Stand down." Bravo 2, Ray Perry called over the mics, "Combatants are not men, but are children." He continued, "From my vantage point, I see nine children." Bravo 2, Jason Hayes pointed silently to Sonny and Clay and gestured for them to move around the back and climb up the narrow ridge. The men silently climbed, coming up behind the children. Choosing the two that looked like the leaders of the little gang, Sonny and Clay made a grab for them.

To get the children's attention, and diffuse the situation, Brock, Bravo 6, tossed soccer balls and candy in the direction of the children. Predictably, the smaller children ran for the sweets and the toys. This gave the rest of the men time to reach the top, and decide what to do next. "Let me go G.I., let me go!" Said the dirty angry child. The girl was clawing and spitting and kicking backwards. Sonny picked her up and held her in front of him, her legs dangling 18 inches off the ground. "Get off me G.I." she kept screaming. "Kid, I'm not going to hurt you, settle down." said Sonny exasperatedly. Jason looked over at Perry and commented, "She will get tired at some point, right?" Ray Perry did not know whether to be amused or alarmed at the fierceness of the girls struggle. Meanwhile, the smaller children had gathered around the soldiers.

A shy little voice asked, "You going to kill us Mr.?" Jason dropped to one knee and looked into little child's eyes. "No way man." said Jason. Considering, the child launched himself into Jason's arms, hugging him tightly. Jason heard sniffles and reached down to tip the child's chin up a bit. "What's the matter, little buddy?" he asked. "I have been so scared and hungry and cold." the little boy replied. "We will see what we can do to fix that." Jason promised. Meanwhile, the other members of Bravo still had their hands full of rock-throwing, fighting, children.

Brock had directed Cerberus to get one of the older boys by the back of his collar. Cerberus was currently holding the child slightly aloft, while dodging the boys flying feet. Clay had enough and called out in his best command voice, "SETTLE DOWN! We are not here to harm you." Shocked by the commanding voice, the children settled. "Ok, this is what we are going to do," Clay continued, "we are going to sit our bottoms down on this ground and figure out what the hell, ah, I mean heck is going on."

Bravo 5, Trent, could not help but smirk at the speed with which the SEALs of BRAVO Company and their new companions, hastened to obey. Shrugging out of his pack, Trent busied himself, passing out hydration pouches and halal food bars to the children and protein bars and water to the men.

Clay began by having each Seal introduce themselves to the children. "Hi, I am Clay and you know that I am a soldier. I am from a place called California and I really like playing soccer." Clay then pointed to Brock. "Hi, my name is Brock and this is my dog Cerberus. Cerberus loves to play fetch and he sleeps next to me at night." Cerberus woofed and stood up. The canine play-bowed to each child and their giggles could be heard for the next few minutes, as Cerberus went from child to child for a pat.

The ice truly broken, the rest of the team quickly introduced themselves. Jason pointed to the oldest girl, who was much calmer after a snack and a chance to interact with Cerberus. "I am Nia and I am 11 1/2 years old. These are my sisters and brothers and cousins." Going around the circle, she pointed to each child in turn. "That is Raha and he is 9, next is Lisan, she is also 9, then Mika who is 8, Mohammad who is 7, Sarai who is 6, the twins Meha and Teha who are 5, and Abi who is 4." As she spoke, Ray wrote down the names and ages of each child.

Trent noticed that all of the children had a sleepy look to them. "Boss, let's take a break and let the kids rest a bit." he said to Jason. Ray and Jason looked at each other, communicating silently, and agreed with Trent's direction. "Guys, let's set up a shelter to get everyone out of the sun, and allow the children to take a rest." Jason directed.

Within just a few minutes, nine children were slumbering in the heat of the late day. Jason and the men met in a huddle several feet a way. "What are we going to do with 9 kids Boss?" Sonny asked. Ray replied, "Our scheduled check-in with Blackburn is in 19 minutes. We tell them about the kids, and ask their opinion." Jason replied. The men settled back on their haunches and simply observed the sleeping children, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Bravo 1 to TOC, over." Jason spoke into the radio. "This is Blackburn. What is your status?" the Lt. Commander asked. Bravo 1 explained the events of mid-day, the rock fight, calming, feeding and meeting the children. Mandy was furiously paging though a sheaf of documents. "Those children belong to Rahid el Suavari." she exclaimed. "The brothers and sisters are his children and the children identified as cousins, are the children of his brother Ali. This is a find," she exclaimed, "and a much needed way to make contact with their group."

Mandy exclaimed, "You need to get more information. What are the children doing away from the main camp? How long have they been out there on their own? Did something happen at the camp? Did they bring any supplies with them or is there a hidey hole with food and water close by?" Ray was writing down the questions on a notepad. "This is a huge break." Mandy continued. "If the children were brought out to the desert, that surely means life at the camp became unstable, and they are stashing the children, until they can be brought back safely. I suggest that you scout for a location that is probably less than a click away, for supplies." Mandy ended.

"Got it." Clay and Sonny overhearing, rose to their feet. Giving Jason a quick salute, the men turned, picked up their guns, and began the climb back down the ridge. "We will hang on to the children." Jason agreed and the time for the next check-in was moved up for two hours hence.

As each child woke from their nap, Trent and Brock met them with Cerberus. Trent gave each child as complete of a physical exam, as he could, given the circumstances. He swabbed each child's cheek for DNA and packaged it for later testing. The children were so delighted with Cerberus, that they barely noticed the exams. The little ones giggled like mad, when Trent wet each of their feet and had them make a print of each foot on brown paper he had in his pack. "What are you doing?" asked Jason, noticing the process.

"Kids do not have any footwear. If we are going to walk out of here, we will either have to figure out how to carry 9 children between us or make shoes." Trent responded. "What are you planning on making the footwear out of?" Jason asked, mildly amused, yet seeing the practically of the plan. "Don't know yet Boss." Brock said. "We haven't figured that part out yet."

Abi approached Ray and asked if he could have some more food. "Sure." Ray said easily, looking over to Trent for guidance. "Let's dump the MREs we have, into a pile and see what is appropriate kid-chow." Brock suggested. A few minutes later, a large pile of MREs, halal food bars and protein bars were in a pile, under shelter and out of the hot sun. Opening each MRE pack, Trent and Brock made three piles. "Boss, we hit pay dirt." Brock remarked, pointing to the stack of halal meals. "I told Lisa that I was really tired of the standard MRE diet and she promised to change it up a bit." The entrees Davis sent included lamb and veg barley stew, lamb and lentil stew, something called lentils Dal Marsala, and SAAG Chole w/Lamb, plus the usual spaghetti and meatballs, beef brisket, Southwest chicken and rice, and chicken and vegetables.

Selecting the Dal dish, Ray heated it up, split it into three servings and handed portions to Abi and the twins. Spying some tortillas, Ray tore them in big pieces and handed some to each child. "This is really good." Abi said, around big mouthfuls full of food. Tearing open a couple packages of mixed vegetables, Ray dumped the contents in the tin pot he had started carrying after his first mission as a SEAL. When the veg was hot, he motioned for the children to give him the paper cups he had used for the Dal. "We don't like these." Teha said holding up three peas. "Me either," responded Ray, "but eat them anyway and I will give you a sweet." Satisfied the three children finished the vegetables. Ray had opened up a couple packages of chocolaty chip cookies, gave each child four, and popped the final two into his own mouth. Ray gave each child a water pouch to finish the meal.

Jason heard whistling and knew that Clay and Sonny were returning to the ridge. "Sit-rep?" he inquired mildly. "Boss, two clicks to the North is a hooch with plenty of weaponry and ammo, along with a modest of amount of food and water. "You would need someone to cook the food, as it is mostly dry beans, rice, oil and spices." responded Clay. "We also found a good size roll of canvas fabric, rope, spikes, and a sledge to erect shelter." Clay continued. Sonny held up a bag of the food items and asked who was going to cook dinner. "That would be you brother." Ray said, walking up to the group. "Ok, I can do that" Sonny agreed and went off to find Brock and make him his sous chef.


	2. Chapter 2

An hour had passed and Sonny brought over a large pot of cooked rice and beans that smelled really good to the hungry men and children. Pulling out the tin plates and metal spoons they had found in the hidey hole, he scooped out generous portions for each man and child. Packages of flour tortillas were collected from the stash of opened MRE components and passed around. Once everyone had something to eat and drink, the group was quiet as they busily ate their dinner. Cerberus crunched a full pan of kibble just outside the circle.

After the children finished eating, Jason asked, "Children, how long have you been staying in the desert?" "We have been out here for 3 days." Sarai, age 6, said in a dramatic voice. "I want to go home." she continued, in a plaintive tone. "Papa promised that we would only be here overnight." Lisan, age 9, chimed in, "Ali did not leave us any prepared food, except for a few rounds of bread and a pot of hummus and we ate all of it the first day." Clay asked, "Why did Ali bring you out to the desert?" Teha and Meha, the twins, quiet until now, used their fingers to make gun shapes and made pow pow noises and fell over on one another. This made Abi cry. Crawling over to Ray, Abi climbed into his lap and put his thumb in his mouth. Leaning back into Ray's embrace, the child calmed.

Ray asked gently, "Did you see any of the men fall down?" "Yes, yes the children chorused, there was so much blood." "Where were you when the gun fire began?" asked Jason. "We were out playing with the goats." Sarai said. "Mama lets us feed them the green tops from the vegetables." Jason asked, "What did you do when you heard the shooting? Nia took up the story. "Papa said, if there was trouble, to get the children into the back of the big truck. It has a cover over wooden seats and there is room for us, to hide under the seats." she explained. "We pulled the tarps over ourselves, so that we could not be seen. "I begged the children not to cry," she said, "sniffling a bit, but I was so scared. I did not know how I was going to save them all." Cerberus went over to the child and lay his head on her knee.

"Did you see any of the bad men?" Jason asked the group. "I did." "I did." admitted Lisan and Mohammad. "We were closest to the courtyard and a car and a Jeep pulled up. Lots of men climbed out and began shouting and shooting guns." said Lisan. Mohammad continued, "At first I thought it was a game, and then I saw Saj and Matahb fall." "Matahb has been our Nan for ages and I am so scared she is dead." Lisan said. "Matahb brushes our hair and makes sure we make proper Wudu before praying and also helps us say our prayers." "She sings to us too," said Sarai and began singing in a sweet voice, "Goodnight child, Goodnight child, did you have a good day today. Goodnight child, did you have a good day today? Time to say your dua. Goodnight child, read your Quran before you sleep..." "Then she would tell us a story out of the Book." added Lisan, (Lyrics by Subhi Alshaik)

Jason, intent on obtaining as much information was possible, was stopped in his tracks, by the girl's sweet voice. He remembered that he was not interrogating hostiles, but small children and softened his tone. "Nia said carefully, "I am not sure how much I am permitted to say. Papa says to never talk to GIs or strangers at the marketplace. If we do, we get a swat and have to stay home on the next market day." Jason said, "I promise Nia, that your Papa wants you to be safe and right now we can keep you safe, since he is not here to do so himself." Jason responded. Thinking about his words, Nia nodded to herself and began. "Well as you know, we were playing with the goats in the enclosure just outside the courtyard. The men drove up and the yelling and shooting began. I heard the kitchen women screaming and the gate to the woman's section clanged loudly, as it was shut. The chains jiggle and make a noise."

"We ran and hid in the truck, like Papa had instructed us to do. Soon, he and Ali came running to the truck and got in. When they began to drive us away, we swerved on the road and the harsh movements made it hard not to bump our heads and knees." Trent nodded and spoke quietly, "Boss, all the children have bumps, bruises and abrasions. I cleaned and disinfected them and removed a splinters from two elbows and five different fingers." Abi held up his bandaged finger for inspection. "I have a bandage." he said proudly. "Trent says I am tough." Ray dropped a kiss on the top of the sweet boy's head. "Then what happened?" Ray asked.

"We drove for what seemed like a long time, maybe two hours at a fast speed." Nia said. "Vroom, vroom." Teha and Meha chorused. "We kept making those sounds, to keep the little ones from crying too much." Nia said. "I thought it was silly, but Mohammad said it would help." "Did your Papa give you any instructions, as your drove?" asked Ray. Mohammad replied, "Papa said that we should hide and that we should throw rocks if anyone came near." Seeing a rock near Ray's thigh, Abi picked it up and hurled it, nearly hitting Clay. "Hey, kid, no rock throwing," Clay said, rubbing his shoulder like he had been hit. "Tomorrow I will play soccer with you in the cool of the morning, ok." Giggling. Abi said "yes!" and pumped his fist, and all the children looked interested.

Noticing that Nia, Lisan, and the twins looked stressed, Trent suggested that it was time for dessert. Brock pulled out a stack of halal butterscotch pudding packets and more chocolaty chip cookies. For the men, he pulled out packets of nut blends and trail mix. The SEALS helped the children manage the pudding packs. After everyone had finished, Trent asked if anyone needed to visit the latrine. He took the children over to where he and Brock had dug trench latrines. It was far enough away from the shelter they had erected earlier in the day, but not too far that the children could run into trouble. Trent gave each child a sani-cloth to wipe their hands and then gave them a second wet cloth to wash their faces and necks.

Noticing, it was time to check in with TOC, Jason asked Clay and Brock to keep an eye on the children while they played out of earshot.

The conversation with TOC went a bit like Jason expected. "The children are high value kidnapping targets." Mandy explained. "Both Fathers have men willing to challenge them for dominance in the area. Tribal tensions have been running high over the fertile delta that runs to the East. That land brings in crops of food along with poppies, marijuana, and regular hemp used to make fabric and rope. You may run into large numbers of goats and a small number of lambs, since the economy is still surprisingly agrarian." "We could use a lactating goat," said Brock, "for milk." Trent agreed, "The children are thin, but healthy. However, being out here in the desert means they are burning twice as many calories from the stress of separation and rough living and the wide swing in air and ground temps."

Lisa Davis entered the conversation, "I have been checking and I can send a drone in with supplies, since the airspace has been perfectly quiet. What do you need most?" Trent and Brock looked at each other and rejoiced silently. "Kid shoes, they said together." Trent continued, "I have been concerned about moving the children, because they are all barefoot. When they left the camp, they had been playing with the goats in the side yard and did not have any time to grab anything." "How would I know what sizes to buy?" Lisa asked. "I took prints of their feet, when I gave them the physicals. I'll note names, ages, sex, and foot measurements on each and send you photos. It might be better if they are adjustable sandals, so that the food bed is thick. That way they will fit for a good while." Lisa mused, "I just have to figure out how to have nine pairs of kid shoes constructed, without raising any red flags for the locals. I am on it!" she declared. Satisfied with the conversation, Eric suggested they set the next call in for 0800 hours.

"Let's see what we have in this barrel." The men peered into the barrel of foodstuffs Clay and Sonny had brought back from their last recon mission. To get it up the steep incline of the ridge, Jason and Ray had used ropes to draw it up to the top, rolling it slowly.

Sonny and Brock pried the lid off and started to go through the cask. As each item was revealed, one of the children identified it the woman who likely prepared it, naming Aisha, Safiya, and Lana. Ray was again writing down names and any details he could get from the child about the women. A large bag of flour came out first. It was well wrapped in a waxed bag inside of a canvas bag. Then came a quart of clarified butter, a bladder of what appeared to be vegetable oil, a jug of honey, tins of yeast, salt, pistachios, and vanilla sugar. A box of powdered eggs, the directions to reconstitute in Arabic. A bag of semolina flour rounded out the foodstuffs in the top section. A round metal disk separated the barrel into two sections. Holding it up, Brock asked if it was a cooking surface. Teha and Meha nodded vigorously. "It gets very hot and if we touch it, we get a burn and a smack." confirmed Raha. "Ok then, lets save the rest for looking at later," sad Sonny, remembering his own experiences with touching hot things and getting a smack.

Glancing over at Sonny and raising an eyebrow, Brock decided to change the subject. "Children, what does your Nan usually give you for breakfast?" Brock asked. "M'Sen little voices piped up and tea." "M'Sen is a honey bread, right?" asked Brock. "Yes," Raha said dreamily, "it has butter and honey and sometimes nuts." Looking at Trent, Brock said, "I think we can do that, with some planning."

Clay had also brought the roll of canvas back. Grinning, he said, "I don't like the idea of the kids sleeping on the ground." Laying out the roll, he measured it to fit the interior of the small, low shelter erected earlier in the day. Clay and Perry stretched the fabric to make a floor and used spikes to secure it in the hard packed dirt. "I found a few fabric coverings and brought them back to use as bedclothes." Clay finished. "They are woven and should add some warmth and comfort for the kids."

Satisfied that he had improved the sleeping area the best he could, Clay wondered over to where Brock was stirring a pot of what looked like dough. "Whatcha doing?" Raha exclaimed, "Brock is making us M'Sen honey bread to eat for breakfast." "Well, I am trying." Brock murmured. "The directions are being cobbled together by the children, who have watched the camp women make it." "Looks like dough to me." Clay whispered, and the children laughed.

Darkness came early in the desert and Trent and Clay began getting the children ready for bed. Trips to latrine were made and hands, faces and feet washed. The children went down easily enough, the stress and out of the ordinariness of the day, tiring them out. Jason could hear Sarai singing to herself and to the others. "Children, I hope you had a good day today, we had a good day today..." Then silence as the children slumbered.

Jason's low whistle brought the team together. "We need set a watch schedule and sleep schedule. Since Sonny and Clay have been the most active, visiting the hooch and patrolling a two click circle around the ridge, you get the first rest period. You two, set your timers for four hours. Then, you both will be on watch for two more hours, then two more hours of rest. Trent and Ray, you will take the first watch for the next four hours. If you doze a bit, it will probably be fine. Seems pretty quiet out here. Brock, you will be up first with the food, so rest next to the children, but be ready to go at the slightest noise or movement." "Roger that." Brock agreed. "Seep with one eye open." Cerberus pushed his head under Brock's arm an looking up at him, silently promising that he would also be on duty.

"What are you going to do Boss?" asked Ray. "I am going to make the two-click circuit. I'll find a rock and rest against it, when I need to." The camp quieted as the men moved to their assignments.


	3. Chapter 3

The children and men passed the night peacefully. Brock rose with the sun and after taking a few minutes for his own wash, he began a low fire to heat up the griddle. Starting the fire was not an issue, but keeping it going was going to be a bit of a challenge. Jason had scoured the area for dead wood from the spindle like vegetation and left a stack for Brock to find. He had also checked the hidey hole in the hooch for charcoal and found enough for a day or two. Jason was making a list in his head of what to ask Lisa to drop, when and if, they could send a drone in. Gel fuel was going to the top of the list, since it burned long and clean.

The children woke up all at once and Clay led them to the latrines and got them washed up. "We play soccer now?" asked Raha and Lisan? "You said you would play soccer with us." Abi reminded him. Nodding, Clay agreed that it was time to play soccer. Clay had removed his boots and socks to sleep. Marking out a 1/4 size playing area, he asked, "you guys decide on teams, ok." "I want to be on your team." said Sarai, dreamily. "You have golden curls." "Get'em young, don't you, Spenser." Sonny teased. "Sonny, Sonny, you are on my team." Mika called out. "You too, Nia." Mika added. "We have longer legs and longer legs are good in soccer." Nia agreed.

Thirty minutes of rambunctious play, saw the children thirsty and ready for breakfast. Clay got them situated in their normal circle and handed out hydration packets and water. "We need to put those on the list." he told Sonny. "We do not want to be in the position of rationing hydration." "Going to go find us a goat." Sonny said. "And before the end of the day." Clay laughed at the idea of Sonny milking a nanny goat. But hey, stranger things had happened. Sonny went over to Brock to lend a hand. Between the two of them, they rolled out almost 50 balls of dough.

Nia joined them, "Now you flatten the dough, sprinkle some semolina on it, and fold it over itself. Do that two or three times. On the last fold, put a few nuts under the top layer. Dip it into the oil and put it on the hot surface." Brock recalled seeing this done in various Middle Eastern marketplaces he had walked through, and did a pretty good job of replicating what he had seen. Ten minutes later, Raha was standing by the grill, begging for a piece. "That smells so good." Raha moaned in pleasure. "Please may I have one. I am truly starving." "He related to you?" joked Ray Perry, coming to see what the good smells were coming from and nudging Sonny in the ribs."

The children were munching happily on the bread which had been buttered and drizzled with honey. Raha was still moaning in appreciation of the sweet bread. Ray decided this would be a good time to ask a few more questions. "So, Raha, "when your Nan makes your breakfast, what time of day is it?" "Maybe two hours after the sun rises." was Raha's response. "Nia, do you have school lessons?" Ray continued. "Sometimes." Nia said shyly. "I have learned how to read both Arabic and English version of the Koran. I can also do a bit of mathematics, enough to bargain at the marketplace." Lisan piped in, "I have been listening and learning too. I am good at speaking English, but I do not read it very well. When I get older, I am going to help my people have better lives." Suddenly embarrassed, Lisan pulled her wrap around her shoulders and head, hiding her face. Ray cupped her chin. "Dear, you never need to be embarrassed about helping people, ok." "Ok." the little girl whispered.

"When do you see your Fathers?" Ray asked. Teha and Meha, giggling, said "Papa comes at the Noon meal and he sometimes brings a young man with him." Nia blushed. Ray, startled, waited a beat. "Does your Papa want you to make a new friend." he asked carefully. "No, silly." Teha replied, "He is finding Nia a husband." "I do not want a husband." Nia murmured. "I am just a little girl." Ray knew that matches were made very young among Tribal families, especially one as high status as Suvari's. "Do you know the names of any of the young men, Papa has brought to meet you?" Ray asked gently. Raha answered for Nia. "Sahib Moussai, Erev Kuzamai, and Mohammad Kuzamai have all visited. They have asked me if Nia is devout and fun to play with." Fun to "play with," my ass, Ray thought quietly to himself.

Breakfast finished and the children's moods dampened somewhat, although they really did not understand why, Trent sought to distract them. "Let's do school." he suggested. Pulling out a small white board, he begin writing down the English words for members of a family. Ray stayed nearby to write down any bits of information the children divulged about their own families and other people in the camp.

Jason joined Clay, Sonny, Brock, and Cerberus and they ate the remaining M'Sen, along with scrambled eggs reconstituted from the egg powder and shredded beef brisket from a couple MREs. "What's the plan boss?" asked Sonny. "We hang on to the kids and get guidance from Blackburn and company." Jason responded. "Can I go goat hunting? Sonny inquired. "I want to improve the children's diet." "Sure, as long as you include a 3-hour patrol and take Clay with you." Jason replied. "Can do, Boss." Sonny said, winking at Clay. The men put their gear on and took a couple lengths of rope that had held the roll of canvas together.

By the end of the school lesson, Ray had a pretty good idea of who was part of the Suvari encampment and how they were related (or not) to the children. The camp held 58 souls, along with 15 goats and 10 chickens and a rooster. He had calculated that two-thirds were men of fighting age. Perry was anxious to get eyes on the camp and hoped Ellis and Davis had figured out a way to make it happen. The morning passed, with the children playing with the soccer ball. Tired, the twins Teha and Meha put themselves down for a rest. Trent and Brock, being their self-appointed caregivers, made sure each child had a drink of water and used the latrine.

Jason and Ray made contact with TOC at the appointed time. Ray shared all the information he had gleaned from questioning the children and listening to Trent lead the school lesson. "I am concerned that Suvari is trying to make a match for Nia. Such moves almost always mean that a deal of some sort is in progress. "We need to keep her away from the camp, and be especially vigilant about kidnappers." said Mandy. Lisa joined the conversation. "I have a drone coming in hot about 1600 hours. The payload includes the footwear you requested, some clothing for the children, pouched pre-wetted bathing towels, and water and hydration pouches up to the weight limit." "Continue to shelter in place, Bravo One. Normalize the children's situation to them, as much as you can. We are going to set up regular drone drops to bring in the basics. Continue to let us know what you need." said Blackburn.

"Ah, we are about to need something crazy." Ray said. "Sonny, got it in his head to bring goats up on the ridge to provide the children milk. We are going to need something to catch the milk in and something to store the milk in. We are also going to have to feed the goats something. There is barely enough scrub up here to provide privacy for latrine use." Ray finished. "Copy." Davis said. "You need hay or goat chow or something. I will also include additional rations for Cerberus." Jason interjected, "Send some gel fuel too. We are only using fire for meals, at this point." With this plan in mind, the team signed off. "Goat chow, really?" Jason laughed. "We are going to get laughed out of DEVGRU." "We adapt, Jason, we adapt." rejoined Ray.

Sonny and Clay had made multiple circuits around the ridge, visited the hidey hole in the hooch, snacked, and were ready to return to the ridge. Sonny mopped his brow and said, "Let's go goat hunting." The two men had seen a number of goats on their rounds. A few were pregnant and another half dozen had kids. Picking two that appeared healthier than most, Sonny pulled the rope from his pack. "This is going to be fun." Sonny called. He gave a whoop and went running towards the goats. Clay shook his head, knowing that the goats would scatter the minute, they saw the wild man running towards them.

About 45 minutes later, Sonny gave up, cussing loudly. Clay had been watching the whole time and showed Sonny the two goats he had secured with ropes around their necks. "Thanks for running them to me, Buddy." he said to his sweaty brother. "When they got tired of running, I walked up to them and put the rope around their necks." he explained. Still cussing, Sonny dumped a pouch of water over his head and drank another. "Let's get back then." It will be time to feed the children lunch. The men got to the base of the ridge and began climbing, expecting the goats to follow. The goats stood fast. Whistling, they got Jason and Ray's attention. With their help, they drew the goats up the ridge, much like they had the barrel of food, except these passengers' bleated and cried the whole way up.

Once on top, the goats were quickly surrounded by the children, who cooed and soothed the animals. Trent gave the goats some water from the supply found in the hidey hole. Brock crumbled up some dog kibble, mixing it with vegetables from the MREs. Calmed, the animals began looking for scraggly grass to graze on. It was nearing 1200 hours by this time, and the children were asking for their lunch too.

Brock and Trent heated up several packages of the MRE version of lentil and lamb stew. To stretch it, Brock made rice, using Ray's tin pot. He tossed in a package of mixed vegetables, to give it color, although he knew some of the children would be less than thrilled at the additional vegetables.

Since his Mom had reinforced eating the healthy stuff, by always serving an after-meal treat, Trent went through the MRE components and found various kinds of "pound cake," a term the men used jokingly, since the baked goods were very dense and enriched with vitamins. They were sweet though, and that was Trent's goal. The lunch drinks were going to be a mix or MRE fruit punch and orange drink. This would allow Brock to use the stored water from the hidey hole, which did not taste very good on its own.


	4. Chapter 4

At 1345, Bravo 1 keyed his mic. "Drone arriving at 1400 hours. Keep your eyes on the sky." The men of BRAVO Team, along with the children met in the clearest part of their temporary home. Ray make contact with TOC. "This is Lt. Col. Eric Blackburn. What is your status?" "BRAVO is set to receive the package." Bravo 2 replied. "10 minutes, from my mark." Davis replied. "I have control of the lead drone and it is headed your way." "Lead drone?" Jason did not have time to mull that over, because a low humming sound was now detectable.

In the sky, a V-formation of three drones appeared. "I am going to set them down easy." transmitted Davis. "Remove the payloads, and I will pick them back up and bring them home." The children gawped as the drones came into view. Abi, ever excited, began jumping up and down and waving his hands. The twins, Teha and Meha, decided to join Abi, in his little dance.

The first drone landed, then the second, and then the third. Two team members went to each machine. Brown netting and plastic covered the bundles. Releasing the clamps, holding the payload on each, was accomplished quickly. Moving the bundles away, Bravo 1 reported, "Drones are ready to fly, on your command." The lead drone lifted from the ground and hovered about 10 feet in the air. The second drone lifted off, and then the third. They made a loose circle above the the men and children, transmitting video back to TOC. Davis entered a command into the laptop, and then took the joystick in hand, and the drones began to fly.

Hefting the bundles onto their shoulders, Sonny, Clay, and Jason made their way to the main camp. "Let's see what we have!" said Sonny. He carefully cut the brown netting away, knowing they would find another use for it. The children helped to unwind the plastic covering. "We have hay for the goats." Mohammad exclaimed. Next, was a 40 lb bag of commercial animal feed, a gallon bottle of antiseptic, buckets, cheesecloth, and a 3-legged stool. Sixty pouches of water, completed the bundle. "Davis used the the entire 100lb payload, on these treasures." Sonny said. Once we check out the other bundles, someone can teach me to milk a goat." he finished.

The second bundle held foodstuffs. A case of 48 MREs, half Halal, half regular, and a large bag of rice, were first off. Brock whooped when he saw the bags of oranges, apples, and pears. He was even happier, when he saw the bag of carrots, green, red, and yellow peppers, and onions. A large cooking pot, a turner and a cooking spoon, had protected the fruit and vegetables in transit. A case of gel cooking fuel and another 60 pouches of water, rounded out the payload. Brock and Trent moved the bounty over towards their outdoor "kitchen" and began to plan the next few meals.

Ray opened the third bundle. Neatly labeled stacks of clothing appeared, tied with string. On top of each stack was a pair of sandals and a toy. The girls received dolls and the boys wooden cars and trucks. The children could barely wait, as Ray removed the toys and handed them out. "My own doll," Lisan said, "fingering the pretty tribal clothing. "I have missed my other doll so much." she breathed. A bag of small stuffed animals, also appeared and were tucked into the shelter for a nighttime surprise. A package of hygiene supplies and a change of clothing for the men completed the payload.

Dinner was a celebratory affair. Brock and Trent made a massive amount of fried rice, using a mix of fresh vegetables and shredded lamb meat and beef packs from the MREs. Dessert was fresh fruit and everyone chose the kind they wanted. The children were fascinated when Jason broke an apple into perfect halves and showed them the design of the seeds inside. Six more apples were broken and everyone enjoyed a taste. The oranges were a unfamiliar fruit to the children and the sweet, fragrant, juicy sections were a delight to their senses.

After dinner and a quick clean up, the children settled, playing quietly with their new toys. Suddenly, all the men received a signal from TOC. Moving away from the children, Bravo 1, responded. "TOC, this is Bravo 1." Blackburn's voice came over the device. "Be advised that a sandstorm is bearing down on your location. ETA within 90 minutes. You are in an extremely vulnerable location. Winds are sustained at 30 mph and gusts up to 60 mph. Duration of the storm, expected to be upwards of six hours." "Copy." Bravo 1 said. "Thanks for the heads up." "Check in, every three hours, if possible." "Copy." said Blackburn.

Trent took the children over to the latrine and helped them take care of their hygienic needs. Sonny helped Brock stow the foodstuffs and supplies in the rear of the shelter. Clay and Ray took the remaining canvas from the roll and made a front flap for the shelter, pinning it to the ground with the remaining tent spikes. This meant that everyone would need to craw into the shelter.

The children entered the shelter and the men made a circuit of their little camp to make sure all was battened down. The men crawled into the shelter and sat in two rows facing each other. The men had rolled the biggest rocks they could to the outside wall, so that they would have something to lean on, and for additional support for their canvas shelter. The men could stretch their legs out and all the children found a perch on one of the men's laps. The stuffed animals were handed around by Ray, and water pouches were given to each person by Trent. He had also ripped pieces of fabric into strips, to eventually be dampened and tied around each persons face.

The goats had been added to the shelter at the last moment, and had flopped down in their very small space, with a look of total boredom on their faces. Sonny looked over to Thing 1, as he had so charmingly named her. "Not your first rodeo, hey?" Clay yelped, when one of the goats kicked. "Hey, wrong guy." he commented. "Settle down." Jason commanded, with little heat. They could all hear the storm coming, and he knew is was a bit of nerves. Generally, the team was hunkered down in much more secure shelter, than the one they had constructed. They were putting a lot of faith in the long tent spikes and a 100 yards of canvas.

The sand storm hit with ferocity, and the children were too afraid to cry. Tremors ran through their small bodies and the grown men held onto them, sharing whatever comfort than could. Clay felt like he was sitting in the middle of a railroad yard with massive steam trains all around. Except the steam was sand, hot, heavy, stinging sand. Brock had draped a long scarf around Cerberus, who was wearing his filtered breathing gear and doggles. Cerberus was breathing well, and Brock was relieved. Trent had wet the fabric face covers and each man and child had them tied around their faces. The girls had their head and shoulders covered by their wraps and the boys were wearing the bed coverings like shawls around their shoulders and heads.

Jason motioned for the men to don their helmets. It would impede their hearing, but protect their heads. The electronics had all been stowed for the duration of the storm. Time passed and all fell into uneasy dozes. The level of adrenaline could not be sustained, without some rest. The winds howled and the sand blew. Against the men's backs, it felt like they were being buffeted by strong waves.

As the hours passed, the winds lost some of their power. It sounded like a heavy thunderstorm, with the gusts similar to what a fast ball would sound like, in baseball, as it hit the shelter. By morning, the occupants of the shelter felt completely dehydrated. The sips of water consumed every 30 minutes had done little to combat the searing dryness of the storm.

It was calm enough outside that Jason and Ray decided to do a recon of the area, to determine if it was safe for the rest to come out. When the men exited the tent, it was like they were standing on a moonscape. The hard packed dirt had been scrubbed clean of every bit of vegetation. The rocks had not moved, but there positions seemed otherworldly.

Deciding it was safe enough, Jason gave a loud, long whistle and the children and men came out into the open. The one boon was that the air smelled fresh and cool, after being in such close confines. Brock and Trent quickly dug a trench latrine, and waited patiently while the children relieved themselves. Deciding that hydration was critical, the group sat in their usual circle, and choose from the variety of flavored drink mixes and water. Trent grabbed the oranges and begin peeling and sectioning them. Brock handed fruit to each one. For fast nutrition, he handed out halal food bars and protein bars and more water. Cerberus and the goats were also fed and watered and all three animals were exploring the new landscape.

Pulling the communications equipment out of the barrel the foodstuffs it had been in, Jason called TOC. "Bravo 1 to TOC, over." "This is Davis, Lisa responded quickly. What is your status?" "All souls came through the storm. The shelter was secure enough. We have been out long enough to take care of basic needs." "Glad to hear, Lt. Col. Blackburn's voice came through. We were worried at the missed check ins, but we now have eyes on you and ISR showed the clouds of swirling sand and confirmed all your heat signatures."

"It was an experience." Bravo 1 agreed. "We are going to reset camp. Do you have any instructions?" "Continue to shelter in place, and notify us of any changes." Blackburn said. "Will do." Jason agreed and signed off.


End file.
